Jul 17 - a day in cottage life

It was a varied day.  I fussed with the bike, putting my Tubus rear rack back on, replacing the MEC rack.  The latter did the job for the High Country but I'm looking at anything that I can do to reduce and relocate weight.  I want the front bag to be an option for these long rides, not mandatory.

I bought a couple of frame bags, one that runs stem to seatpost and a smaller one that simply fits at the front of the front triangle.  Both are under the top tube and thus partly get in the way of water bottles but that's minor.

In the process, I also made some minor adjustments, including the rear derailleur which was having some difficulty getting into the largest cog.  That only took a second -- probably could have done that during the ride but I hesitate to start doing things with my mind numbed by lack of sleep, if I can help it.  The other thing that I've got to do is see if I can clear the moisture out of the headlight control.  Eventually it will cause corrosion and I'll be in trouble.

I also did some cleaning up in my workroom.  The bike stuff was strewn around. 

I installed my last Dura-Ace 7800 chain.   The last time I ordered chains these suddenly became randomly available and at a high price.  The next chain that I use will be a 6700 directional chain.  I've got 8 of those in the spare parts bin ... sounds crazy, but they do wear quickly due to the conditions in which I ride sometimes.  Before I go to Italy, I'll probably replace the rear derailleur and cassette.  I'm debating whether to install the new tires that I ordered -- 38's.  I should probably use them for the Manitoulin 1000k ride in a couple of weeks.  The only trouble with that is that there are some crappy road sections, namely the Trans Canada, which are bound to have lots of debris and these tires are more prone to punctures than the Continental 4-season 28's. 

So much for the bike.  I'll have to get out and ride soon, but even that is a pain because they've now torn up several kms of 522 from Lost Channel and westward, preparing to redo the stone chipping.

I took Lauren & Lauren to Lost Channel for ice cream.  Our Lauren is a much bigger eater than Lauren-2; she got a big cone.  Lauren-2 got a Popsicle and was going to save it ... until I told her that wouldn't work ... and she went back inside and swapped for some potato chips. 

The girls busied themselves with games, the kayaks, the aforementioned boat ride, throwing balls for the dogs, etc.  We still have three dogs in attendence but that will change today as Mike/Jill/Eris leave with Noodles; Jason/Lo/Kim leave with Chili.  Kyle left mid day yesterday; Gavin and Amanda left last night.  Everyone has to work today !  I remember those days or perhaps not, it was so long ago !

The girls also made huge chocolate chip cookies, about three times the normal size.  Lauren-1 is eating those; Lauren-2 not so much.  Lauren-2 is about half the height (well, more than half, but not much) of Lauren-1.  She's quite tiny.

Mike/Jill/Lorraine came over after dinner with Eris to give her a bath.  She doesn't like the shower much (what 18 month old would ?).  She -- Eris -- isn't bothered at all by Cassie as she's used to having Noodles around. 

We had chicken for dinner and we'll be having burgers tonight when Lauren-2's Mom and brother show up to pick her up.  In a few minutes I'll be checking to see if I can get a Chiro appointment in Sudbury, in which case I'll be picking up a few groceries.

I did a bunch of research yesterday on ear buds and will be ordering something today once I hear back from my hearing aid lady who is my dealer.  I could also order them from Amazon but it's probably advantageous for her, so I'll go that route if I can.  There are a couple of other items that I'll be ordering and Sara will pack those for the trip north.

What else ...don't remember ... that'll do for now!  Onward !